Door-operating appliance.



No. 778,103. PATENTED DEC. 20, I904.

. P L. BREWER.'

DOOR OPERATING APPLIANCE,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1904. no MODEL; v v ssnnms-snnm 1.

WITNESSES: INVENT PATENTED DEC. 20. 1904.

I, L. BREWER.

- DOOR OPERATING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 19,04.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 N0 MODEL.

' WITNESSES INVENTO Atlamey \s No. 778,103. v I PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.F. L. BREWER.

DOOR OPERATING APPLIANCE. APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 22, 1904.

" UNITED STATES Patented December 20, 1904-.

FREDERIOK L. BREWER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DOOR-OPERATING APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 778,103, datedDecember 20, 1904. Application filed March 22,1904. $erialNo-199,426.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. BREWER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi cago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Door-Operating Appliances; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same. I

This invention relates to improvements in furnace-door openers andclosers.

The object in view is the provision of means for facilitating theopening of a furnace-door and for automatically closing the same.

With this and further objects in view the invention comprises certainnovel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as

will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a view in elevation ofa door and mechanism for opening and closing the same,

embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 represents aView in sideelevation thereof. Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectiontaken on the plane of line 3 3 'of'Fig. 1 and looking in the directionindicated by the arrow. Fig. 1 represents a horizontal section taken onthe plane of line 4 4 of Fig. 3 and looking downwardly. Fig. 5represents a longitudinal vertical central section taken on the plane ofline 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6represents a longitudinal vertical centralsection taken through the cylinder detached. Fig. 7 represents a view inend elevation of the same. Figs. 8 and 9 represent enlarged detailelevational and sectional views of the exhaust-plug detached. 1

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates any door to beopened, swinging on any suitable hinges 2 and provided with a latch-bar3. A gravity-pawl 4: is pivotally carried by the casing 5, surroundingthe doorway closed by the door 1, said pawl normally engaging the latch3- for retaining the door 1 in aclosed position. Avertically-reciprocating operating-rod 6 extends to a point just beneaththe pawl 4 and is guided by any suitable bracket 7 near the upper endand at its lower end is connected to an operating-lever '8. The lever 8is pivoted intermediate its length to a bracket 9 and is provided at itsouter end with -a suitable treadle 10.

A strap 10 is fixed to the door 1 and depends therefrom and has its freeend pivotally engaged by a link or pitman 11, said link or pitman beingin turn pivotally connected at its opposite end to a cross-head 12,slidably mounted in-guideways 13 13, arranged in the upper surface of acylinder 14. The cylinder 14 is supported by suitable brackets 15 1 5and incloses a piston 16, carried by a piston-rod 17. The cross-head 12is relatively long and fits snugly the guides 13 for the full length ofits stroke and is provided at its exposed end with a depending bar 18,extending at right angles to said cross-head and engaging the piston-rod17, whereby reciprocation of the piston 16 is designed to reciprocatethe cross-head 12 and through the link 11 and strap 10 eifects theopening and closing of the door 1.

A coiled spring 19 surrounds the pistonrod 17 and is disposed betweenone end of the cylinderlt and the piston 16, said spring 19 serving tonormally maintain the piston 16 in position for retaining the door 1closed. The opposite end of the cylinder 14 from that engaged by spring19 is provided with a port 20 in communication with a pressure-supplypipe 21. The supply-pipe 21 extends to a valve-casing 22 andcommunicates with a port 23 therein. The port 23 extends to andcommunicates with a horizontal port '24 and a vertical port 25. Thecasing 22 is provided with a central longitudinal bore 26, within whichis arranged a gravity-valve 27 having its lower end extending beyond thecasing-22 and resting upon the operating-lever 8. The

upper end of the valve 27 is formed with an enlarged downwardly-taperinghead 28,designed to be moved vertically within a chamber 29, formed inthe casing 22 at the upper end of the bore 26. A pipe 30 leads from anysuitable source of pressure-supply to and commu nicates with a port 31within the casing 22, communicating with the chamber 28. Each of theports 2A and 25 extends to and communicates with the bore 26, and thevalve'27 is formed with an annular reduced portion 32 just beneath thehead 28 for permitting the passage of pressure from the chamber 28through the port 25 when the valve 27 is elevated. The valve 27 is alsoformed with an annular groove 33, registering with the port 24 when thehead 28 is upon its seat, and a port 34 is formed in the casing 22 andleads from the groove 33 to the atmosphere, said port being closed by aground valve-plug 35, the plug 35 being seen in detail in Figs. 8 and 9and being formed with' a longitudinal passage 36, adapted to permit theescape of pressure therefrom, such escape being prevented, if desired,by threading the plug 35 into the threaded portion of the outer end ofport 34 until the point of the ground valve has closed the reducedportion of said port 34. Thus it will be seen that the rate of dischargeof pressure through port 34 may be effectually controlled. The valve 27is formed intermediate its length with an annular groove 37, similar togroove 33, and a port 38, leading to the atmosphere, communicates withsaid groove 33 when the valve 27 is upon its seat.

A'plate 39 depends from the cylinder 14 at one side of the valve-casing22 and is formed with a port 40, communicating at one end with the1nterior of the cylinder 14 and at the other end registers with a port41, communieating with groove 37, the port 40 communicating with thecylinder 14 at that point in the length thereof adapted to permit asufficient stroke of the piston 16 for opening the door 1 beforecommunication is established between the cylinder 14 and the port 41.

The head of the cylinder 14, provided with port 20, is also providedwith a port 42, normally closed by a plug 43, said port being adapted toreceive the end of pipe 21 when desired, it being understood that if theport 42 is used in conjunction with the pipe 21 the port 20 will beclosed by a suitable plug, the use of the port 42 facilitating theadjustment of the valve-casing 22 to positions other than that disclosedin the drawings. The port 42 may also be used for facilitatingintroduction of a lubricant into cylinder 14, if desired.

In operation when it is desired to open the door 1 it is only necessaryto place the foot upon the treadle 10, which causes the longitudinalupward movement of the rod 6, lifting the pawl 4, and releasing thelatch 3, the door being thus left free to swing open. The up wardmovement of the inner end of lever 8 effects an upward movement of thevalve 27 to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, whereuponpressure supplied through pipe 30 moves, through the port 25, pipe 21,and port 20, into cylinder 14, the ports 24 and 41 being closed by thevalve 27 when in its raised position. Pressure entering cylinder 14causes the rearward travel of the piston 16, which movement of thepiston effects a similar movement of the cross'head 12 and causesthedoor l to swing open under the action of link -or pitman 11 and strap10. Itwill be observed that the cross-head 12 consists simply in a slidedovetailed into longitudinally-arrangcd guides, whereby the movement ofthe link 11 is made positive and the door 2 readily opened. The piston16 in opening the door 1 moves past the port 40, and the operator movinghis foot from the treadle it) releases the valve 27 and permits the sameto drop to its normal position, cutting oil the supply of pressurethrough pipe 30 and permitting the pressure within the cylinder 14 toescape, through port 40, port 41, annular groove 37, and port 38, to theatmosphere, the pressure also being free to escape through port 20, pipe21, port 24, annular groove 33, and port 34. The greater quantity ofpressure escapes almost instantly through ports 40 41, groove 37, andport 38 before the piston 10 passes port 40; but after the piston passessaid port the escape of the remaining pressure may be controlled by plug35, and if the escape of pressure is too rapid it is only necessary toadjust the plug 35 until its ground point cngages the seat formed by thereduced portion of the port 34, and the escape of pressure may bereduced to any desired degree and the speed of the return stroke of thepiston ll thereby controlled, said return stroke being accomplishedthrough the action of spring 1.).

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cylinderand piston, of means for supplying pressure thereto, an exhaust-portcommunicating with. said cylinder, a plug threaded longitudinally intosaid port and formed with a tapered point adapted to close the port,said plug being formed with an internal,longitudinal passage normallypcrmitting exhaust of pressure from said cylinder, and door-operatingelements actuated by said piston.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a door, of acylinder, at piston operating therein, guides fixed to and extendinglongitudinally of said cylinder, a dovetailed, sliding cross-headinclosed by said guides, connections between the piston and crosshead,and connections between said cross-head and door for transmittingmovement from the cross-head to the door.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination withdoor-operating elements, a piston for'actuating the same, and a cylinderinclosing said piston, of a pressure-sum)ly controlling valve formedwith a plurality of annular grooves, a head on said valve, a casinginclosing said valve formed with a seat for said head and formed with achamber above said seat, means for establishing communication betweensaid cylinder intermediate the length thereof and said valve-casing inline with one of the annular grooves in said valve, a port being formedin said valve-casing and leading from said last-mentioned groove to theatmosphere, pressure-supply means communicating with said valve, apressure-supply pipe communicating between the casing and said cylinder,and means for movbetween said pressure-supply and said pipe.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination withdoor-operating elements, a piston for actuating the same, and a cylinderinclosing said piston, of a pressure supply controlling valve formedwith a plurality of annular grooves, a head on said valve, a casinginclosing said valve formed with a seat for said headand formed with achamber above said head, means for supplying pressure to said chamber,means of communication between said casing, below said seat, and

said cylinder, means for elevating said valve for lifting said head offits seat for establishing said valve for establishing communicationingcommunication between said chamber and said means of communication, andan exhaustport leading from said cylinder to said valvecasing in linewith one of said annular grooves when the valve is upon its seat, a portleading to the atmosphere being formed in said valve-casingcommunicating with said lastmentioned, annular groove when the valve isupon its seat, and a second port being formed in said casing andextending from another of said annular grooves, when the valve is uponits seat, to the atmosphere, a port being formed in the valve-casing forestablishing communication between said last-mentioned groove and themeans of communication between the valve-casing and said cylinder.

' In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

FREDERICK L. BREWER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE E. WIssLER, CHARLES C. SPENCER.

